Policy riders are harmful, ideological provisions that help rig the game for special interests, and are tucked away in bills with little to no debate. Policymakers sneak inappropriate ideological riders in moving legislation because they are too controversial and divisive to pass on their own merit.

A crucial public health and safety protection, a strong science-based safeguard, one that would positively impact hundreds of communities, and thousands of lives, simply overturned with almost no debate.

And it passed just on a voice vote. Not even a recorded vote. We can’t even hold representatives who would’ve approved this language accountable.

So far, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed changes to the Risk Management Program (RMP) Rule earlier this year. The rule, which has been in the works for exactly three years to the day, can be significantly improved before it is finalized.

We’ve written a lot about what the agency needs to do here, here, and here.

And while it’s true that the EPA can do more, that doesn’t mean that this rule doesn’t have some good things. It represents small, but incremental progress. The rule incorporates some important prevention tools and community preparedness requirements, and could help protect fenceline communities from chemical disasters.

Further, the next president can use this rule to build upon President Obama’s executive order and continue to fight for better protections for communities and workers.

No ideological riders

As I wrote earlier in the year, some members of Congress don’t want you to know about these poison pill riders because the provisions are special interests’ backdoor attempt to weaken science-based public protections for their own gain. And look no further than this blog post to understand which special interest probably motivated Rep. Pompeo to attack an already weak rule.

It is stories like these that illustrate why we must fight for a clean budget process with no ideological riders. It is stories like these that show why the appropriations process cannot be a playground for special interests.

This August, as your members of Congress are back home, make sure you talk to them about why we need a clean budget process, and share this story with them. When they come back to work in September, they need to be ready to fight for a clean budget process and oppose all ideological riders. Your representatives need to be motivated by you, not special interests.

Support from UCS members make work like this possible. Will you join us? Help UCS advance independent science for a healthy environment and a safer world.

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